IOM and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today
announced that over 20,000 refugees from Bhutan have now left camps
in eastern Nepal for resettlement in third countries since the
beginning of the programme in 2007.

The United States has taken 17,609 of the refugees, many of whom
have resettled in Texas, New York, Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania,
and California. Departures to Australia total 855, Canada 663,
Norway 299, New Zealand 294, Denmark 172 and the Netherlands
126.

Resettlement of the Bhutanese from seven camps in eastern Nepal
has been ongoing since November 2007. There are currently some
91,054 refugees remaining, of whom some 78,000 have expressed an
interest in resettlement. 

IOM works with UNHCR and resettlement countries to facilitate
refugee departures from Nepal. This includes the processing of
cases for resettlement countries, notably the USA, as well as
medical screening, cultural orientation and travel
arrangements.

"IOM has an established infrastructure and a highly trained team
that can organize the movement of 2,000 people a month. We
anticipate more than 25,000 refugees will depart Nepal by the end
of this year," said IOM Chief of Mission in Nepal Sarat Dash.

Over 100,000 Bhutanese of Nepali origin, known as Lhotsampas, or
"People of the South" fled from southern Bhutan to the Jhapa and
Morang regions of Nepal 18 years ago after a period of civil
unrest. This followed the introduction of a policy of
"Bhutanization," which disenfranchised many ethnic Nepalis, banned
the teaching of Nepali in schools and enforced majority Druk dress
code and customs.

Subsequent negotiations between the governments of Nepal and
Bhutan and international pressure to allow the refugees to return
to home have failed up to now.

For more information please contact:

Jennifer Pro

IOM Damak

Tel:
 +977 985 110 4589 

E-mail: "mailto:jpro@iom.int">jpro@iom.int

> >